Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State: 

Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan

Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi has ordered the immediate reopening of Emmanuel Alayande College of Education following series of apologies and promises by the students’ representatives that their colleagues would turn a new leaf.

Ajimobi, gave the directive shortly after meeting with the students’ leaders, in his office, on Wednesday and admonished them against unruly acts that might truncate the peace of the state or tantamount to disrespect for constituted authorities.

The state government had through a statement by the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, shut the college on June 2 in the wake of violent protests by students.

Warning the students against a recurrence, the governor said dialogue and engagement were civilised ways of resolving grievances and issues bordering on welfare, no matter how knotty they might be.

Ajimobi said, “Now that you have come to apologize for that violent protest that led to destruction of properties, I hereby order the immediate reopening of your school. I want to plead with you to always respect your parents, lecturers and constituted authorities of your institution. That is what can make a country grow.”

The governor used the occasion to restate his appeal to the stakeholders at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, LAUTECH, to allow unfettered access of auditors engaged to peruse the records of the institution, which, he said, would pave the way for the reopening of the institution. .

The Provost of the EMACOED, Dr. Rasaq Adefabi, who was in company with the students, appreciated what he called the fatherly role played by the governor in resolving the debacle instigated by the students’ unbecoming behaviour.

The President of EMACOED Students’ Union Government, Theophilus Oladeji, said that he was glad about the reopening of the school and appreciated what he called the kind gesture of the governor in overlooking the students’ exuberance and transgressions.